Igniting device for cigarettes, cigars, and the like



J. SHANKS June 12 1951 IGNITING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTES, CIGARS, AND THELIKE Filed Aug. 10, 1949 Patented June 12, 1951 IGNI'IING DEVICE FORCIGARETTES, CIGARS, AND THE LIKE Jacob Shanks, University City, Mo.Application August 10, 1949, Serial No. 109,473

- Claims. 1

This invention relates to igniting devices for cigarettes, cigars andthe like and more particularly to igniting devices of this class havinga Wick which is spark-ignited.

The principal feature of the invention is the provision in an ignitingdevice of the class described of means for readily adjusting the wick toadjust the length of its exposed end. In genfrom the outer face of thehead and opening into I the interior of the container. The head has aslot in a plane transverse to the recess intersecting the recess. Ahollow screw member is axially movable but non-rotary in the recess. Anut is rotary in the slot and threaded on the screw member, and projectsfrom the head so as to be accessible for turning it to move the screwmember axially. A wick extends from within the container through thescrew member to the exterior of the head and is gripped in the screwmember. With this arrangement, by rotating the nut to move the screwmember axially in the recess, the wick may be moved axially along withthe screw member to adjust the extension of the wick from the head.Other features will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which one of various possibleembodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of an igniting device of the pocketcigarette lighter type embodying the invention, with a cap thereof open;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of Fig 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, an igniting device of the pocket cigarettelighter type embodying the invention is shown to comprise a pocket-sizecontainer l for liquid fuel consisting of a flat,

open-mouthed vessel 3 closed by a head 5. As herein illustrated, thevessel 3 is molded of a transparent or translucent plastic material so 2that the fuel supply is visible. The head 5 has a portion 1 extendinginto the vessel from a shoulder 9, with portion 1 tightly fitting in themouth of the vessel and suitably cemented therein with a fuel-tightjoint. The shoulder 9 bears against the rim of the vessel 3.

The head 5 of the container is formed at its approximate center with arecess ll extending down into the head from its upper or outer face. Therecess, as illustrated is of circular cross section and tapers inward atits bottom designated I 3. A wick opening, of smaller diameter than therecess, extends from the center of the bottom l3 of the recess throughthe head l5, where it is surrounded by an opaque jacket 2 threaded intothe head [5. This jacket may be composed of an opaquely tinted (black,for example) plastic, or metal, its purpose. being primarily to hide thewick which ordinarily has an undesirable vermiform appearance in thevisible fluid of transparent igniters of this class. The jacket 2includes side openings 4 and an opening at the bottom, as indicated at6, so that fluid may find its way to the wick contained in the jacket.Above the rim of the vessel 3, the head 5 is formed with a transverseslot IT in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the recess H,intersecting the latter, and extending through the head from one sidethereof to the other.

At I9 is shown a wick. This extends from within the vessel 3 through thewick opening l5 and the recess H and out through an apertured cap 2|threaded in the end of the recess above the slot IT. The portion of thewick extending through the recess extends through a tubular packingmember 23 made of a fuel-resistant resilient material such as a suitablesynthetic rubber. The upper or outer end portion of the packing memberbelow the cap 2| is-compressed on the wick by a hollow screw member orcollet '25 axially movable in the recess. The wick is not so tightlygripped in the packing member, however, as to cut oil capillary flow offuel through the Wick. The packing member 23 extends downward from thelower end of the screw member25 and its lower end is enlarged, asindicated at 21, to plug the recess in any position of adjustment.

As shown, the screw member 25 is longitudinally split, as indicated at29, so that it may be compressed on the packing member 23. The splitprovides a longitudinal keyway receiving a key 3| extending into thesplit from the closure head 5. As shown, the key 3| comprises aninclined pin fixed in the head within the recess. It prevents rotationof the screw member 25 while against loss of fuel.

permitting the latter to slide inward and outward in the recess. Thescrew member is threaded in a flat circular nut 33 rotary in the slot H.The diameter of the nut is greater than the thickness or width of thehead 5 and it has portions 35 accessible on opposite sides of the headfor turning it. The nut may be peripherally knurled, as indicated at3'1, to facilitate turning it.

The above-described arrangement is such that by turning the nut 33 inone direction or the other, the screw may be moved inward or outward toincrease or decrease the exposed length of wick extending out of thehead through the apertured cap 2 l. The screw may also be moved farenough inward, if desired, to compress the lower end portion 27 of thepacking member against the bottom and lower portions of the recess Htightly to seal the Wick opening it and tightly to compress the wick toprevent loss of fuel, either by leakage or evaporation from the exposedend of the wick.

Adjacent one of it's ends, the head 5 has a bore 3&3 extendingcompletely through the head and opening into the vessel 3. Threaded inthis bore is a spark wheel and flint unit, generally designated ll,comprising a flint tube d3 having bearings at its upper end for a sparkwheel 47. Within the tube is a flint 49 biased against thespark wheel bya compression spring 5| reacting from a cap 53 threaded on the lower endof the flint tube. The tube is provided with a flange 55- at its upperend which bears against a washer 57 located in a counterbore 59 at theupper end of the bore 39 to seal the bore. The

spark wheeland flint unit 4| is removed to open the bore 39 for fillingthe container with fuel. A closure cap- 6| adapted to cover the sparkwheel and exposed end of the wick is pivoted at the other end .of thehead, as indicated at 63.

From the above, it will be seen that the invention provides a reliableand economical means for readil adjusting the length of the exposed endof the wick as a part of the igniting device, as well as a means fortightly sealing the device With the igniter of the invention, it is aneasy matter to adjust the wick toobtaina desired length of flame, or tofeed a fresh wick end into position for ignition by the spark wheel andflint. When necessary, the wick maybe pulled through the tubular packingmember 23 to provide a sufiicient length of wick above the upper end ofthe screwmember 25 to extend out of the cap 2|. It is contemplated thatthe invention may be embodied in devices other than pocket cigarettelighters, for example in table model lighters, and the invention is notto be taken as limited to pocket cigarettelighters.

. While certain terms have been used above for the various parts, thefollowing are equivalents and are usedin certain of the claims: Thescrew member 25 is iii-effect a collet which isrendered nonrotary in the-recess or opening ll by the .pin and slot combination 3|, 29. Obviouslyother equivalents may be used for preventing rotation, such as a-squarecollet in a square opening, the

said head havin a recess therein extending from the outer face of thehead and opening into the interior of the container, said head alsohaving a slot in a plane transverse to the recess intersecting therecess, a hollow screw member axially movable but non-rotary in therecess, a nut rotary in the slot threaded on the screw member andprojecting from the head so as to be accessible for turning it to movethe screw member axially, and a wick extending from within the containerthrough the screw member to the ex terior of the head and gripped in thescrew member, whereby, by rotatingthe nut to move the screw memberaxially in the recess, the wick may be moved axially along with thescrew member to adjust the extension of the wick 'fromthe head.

2. In'an igniting device of the cigarette lighter type, a container forlighter fuel having a head, head having a recess therein extending fromthe outer face of the head and opening into the interior of thecontainer, said head also having a slot'in a plane transverse to therecess, the slot intersecting the recess and extendingthro'ugh the headfrom one side thereof to the other, a hollow screw member axiallymovable but non-rotary in the recess, a nut rotary in the slot threadedon the screw member and projecting on opposite sides of the head,'a wickextending from within the container through the screw member to theexterior of the head, and a packing member in the screw memberfrictionally gripping the wick in the screw member, whereby, by rotatingthe nut'to'move the screw member axially in the recess, the wick may bemoved axially along with the screw member to adjust the extension" ofthe wick from the head.

'3. In an igniting device as setforth in claim 2, the further feature offorming the packing memher with an enlarged portion extending out of thescrew member toward the bottom of the recess and plugging the recess.

4. An igniting device of the pocket cigarette lighter type comprising acontainer for lighter fuel consisting of a vessel through which the fuelsupply is visible having a head, said head hav ing a recess thereinextending from the outer face of the head and a wick opening leadingfrom the bottom of the recess into the interior of the'container, saidhead also having a slot in a plane transverse to the recess, the'slotintersecting the recess and extending through the head from one sidethereof to the other, an apertured cap at the outer end of the recess, ahollow screw member movable axially in the recess between'its bottom andthe cap and held against rotation in the recess, a flat nut rotary inthe slot and threaded on the screw member, the nut beingof such size asto project on opposite sides of the head, a packing member in the nut, awick extending from within the container through the wick opening andthrough the packing member in. the screw member and out through the cap,the wick being frictionally gripped in the screw 5 member by the packingmember so as to be axially movable with the screw member, and a sparkwheel and flint unit mounted in a bore in the head adjacent the recess.

5. An igniting device as set forth in claim 4, 5

further including an opaque tube extending from the head into theinterior of the container, the Wick extending in said tube and beinghidden thereby, said tube having at least one opening whereby fuel maygain access to the wick.

JACOB SHANKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

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